Worthy Opponents
by Biskoff
Summary: A chance conversation changes the course of the world. Eidolon sought for fellow parahumans to measure himself against. Now, for better or worse, he has his Worthy Opponents. A ruthless Warlord. A stubborn Vigilante. A villainous Rogue. There are others, scattered around the world and wielding immense powers few can match. The Protectorate is going to have its hands full.
1. The First

_Worthy Opponents_

_The First_

Eidolon sighed as he swirled his drink. Truthfully he was supposed to be writing reports for… some Director or other. He didn't feel like doing them now. They'd be done by the deadline of course. They always were.

Hero walked into the louge, lazily strolling towards him. "Heya, David." He greeted as he got closer.

"It's Eidolon right now." He muttered back. He took a sip out of his cup. Hero looked at Eidolon for a long moment before taking a seat across from him.

"Becky mentioned you've been acting weird. Something bothering you? Care to share?"

"It's nothing, Hero."

"Don't be like that. We know each other. If I can help I will. You know that."

Eidolon took a deep breath, watching the amber liquid swirl lazily in his hand.

"I just wish… I wish there was someone out there. Someone who could challenge me. Could push me. Someone I could _actually_ fight with-." Eidolon broke off. "Sorry Hero. It sounds like I don't respect you or the others when I say that."

Hero shrugged. "I don't mind. You're powers are all over the place. Each of us has our strong suit and you got the stacked deck. Not fair to compare when it's put like that. To you or to anyone."

Eidolon let out a deep breath as he took another mouthful from his glass. Hero suddenly leaned forward and tapped the table. He was smiling in that way of his, the one that made cameramen love him so much. A mixture of teasing, of good humor, and a touch of I-know-something-you-don't-know.

"You need an archenemy." He said. Eidolon stared back blankly.

"I've had a few those. Every one of them is behind bars." Eidolon deadpanned.

"Tch. Then they weren't archenemies. Maybe you should look for a rival, then?" Hero suggested.

"I _have_ rivals. You, Alexandria and Legend." Eidolon looked at his friend with a face of confusion.

"Eh." Hero waved his hand back and forth. "Yes and no. We're teammates; and we compete with each other, sure. But when it comes to the big things? The real threats? We work together. We _succeed_ together. How do you measure yourself against people who are doing _exactly_ what you're doing?"

Eidolon gaped for several seconds. He hadn't really thought of it like that. "So… do you… uh…"

"Measure myself against other Tinkers? Their gear against my gear? Absolutely." He smiled slyly. "Gotta tell ya. Being the best feels pretty nice."

Eidolon couldn't help himself. He chuckled along with Hero. Hero took a glance at his wrist mounted touchscreen. Hero groaned and stood up from the table muttering about meetings. Eidolon turned his attention back to his drink. Hero started talking again as he stretched his back and got ready to leave.

"Just wait, David." "It's Eidolon." "You'll find an archenemy. Or a rival. It'll even be a pretty girl if you're lucky. And speaking of enemies… there's a rumor going around Europe, Becky knows more, about some guy who wiped out a town. No debris. No fight. Just... _poof_. Gone. Overnight."

Eidolon tilted his head. "What's his power?"

"That's just it. Nobody knows." As Hero walked away he turned backwards and continued. "Look, don't worry about the mystery man. Just… don't beat yourself up because you're stronger than the next guy. Things will happen as they happen. You'll find a villain who can hit you- "

* * *

'_-back one day.'_

Eidolon shook his head. He could feel blood streaming down from a gash along his brow. He groaned as his muscles strained. The rubble atop him shifted and pressed further down onto him. He needed to get out. A new power came to him. Repulsion. He latched on to it, waited for it to grow, and released a pulse.

The concrete and steel blasted outwards in all directions. The blast also directed some debris directly upwards and he quickly flew out before the wreckage crashed back down.

Eidolon took only a moment to look at what had once been a three story building before orienting himself. He flew upwards above the rooftops, searching for where the battle had moved to. Smoke clouded much of the sky, obstructing his view.

A massive boom erupted to his left.

Instantly he flew towards the sound. He lowered himself to just above the roofline and looked over the edge into the street below.

A team of heroes, their costumes the same except for different colors, had faced off against a villain. He watched the villain, a man wearing red leather armor with gleaming white chains wrapped around his wrists, down two heroes at once with brutal precision from his weapons.

'…_not here.' _He looked at the scene before him. He inwardly cursed himself. He should have put more thought when he was searching rather than going after the first explosion he could find.

For a shameful instant he thought of leaving the heroes to go back to searching.

Instead he waited for the villain to move towards one of the downed heroes.

Eidolon dropped down to the immediate right of the villain and set off a repulsion blast. The villain was sent flying through the glass window of a shopping boutique. He could hear movement from the wrecked storefront and waited for a counterattack.

Seconds later a white chain launched itself at him through the broken window. It curved dramatically a few feet in front of him and tried to strike from the side. Eidolon let loose another pulse, pushing the chain back, and flew forwards to engage the villain up close.

With experience from years of training Eidolon nimbly dodged the chains and flew into the store, attempting a strike at the man's throat. The chains dropped to the ground and pushed their wielder backwards. Eidolon let lose another repulsion blast, hitting the store's front wall behind him along with the villain to his front.

Again the chains coiled themselves around their master. They maneuvered with speed and accuracy to keep him from hitting the wall, acting like a springboard.

Eidolon's glare deepened. He needed a power that could end this fight quickly. Eidolon let the repulsion power fade. A dozen more came to him as the villain righted himself and prepared to strike again. Eidolon spent the next several moments deftly dodging and flying through the chain strikes as he gained control over a new power.

'_Now.'_ Eidolon reached out a fingertip and let it graze one of the chains. From the point of contact a dark violet material stretched forth and covered the entirety of the chain. The length of chain was suddenly pulled towards the origin of the violet matter; ripping itself off the villain's right arm in a splatter of skin, blood, and cloth. The large ball of chain floated silently in the air, its center point exactly where he had first touched it.

Eidolon used the pain of his opponent to strike him in the solar plexus with a high-powered blast of liquid. The man smashed against the wall and dropped like lead.

Eidolon stared at the villain for several seconds to make sure he wasn't going to get back up. He then moved back out of the store and moved to help up the nearest superhero. The man nodded his heads in thanks. During his brief duel the team had started to get back on their feet. Only then did Eidolon notice two other villains lying on the ground some distance away. One was in the middle of a large indentation in the ground. Probably the cause of the boom he had heard.

"Do you know where my team is?" He spoke to the Japanese hero clearly and slowly.

He needed to get back to them. He _should_ have been there by now. Even though he _knew_ he had saved these heroes' lives it felt like a waste. He needed to be fighting at the center of this to do the most good.

One of the other heroes spoke, a woman in bright orange. "We don't know. The first thing this group did was take out our radios." She gestured to the villains and then to a broken piece of plastic and wires on her forearm.

Eidolon swore. He didn't have the time to deal with this. If the team wasn't able to receive orders they couldn't help in the fight, but he _needed_ to get back-

A blur of movement down the street cut off his thoughts.

He turned to look, but the bluish black object was already in their midst. It stopped swiftly and Eidolon recognized who it was.

"Kenmei!" He exclaimed.

Kenmei was an elder Japanese man dressed in an outfit reminiscent of an old kung fu master. Even his 'mask' was nothing more than an elaborate white-haired wig covering most his scalp and face: a topknot, long beard and mustache, with incredibly bushy eyebrows.

Despite the cliché appearance of his costume, Kenmei was one of _the_ first heroes in Japan and had acted as an advisor and mentor to many of the 'sentai' teams that now dominated Japan's cape scene.

"A moment, my friend." Kenmei said to him quickly before speaking to the team. Their shoulders slumped and there was a strange mixture of relief and shame in their posture. The team seemed to obey Kenmei's words and began to move down the street.

"I need to get back to Legend and Alexandria. Where are they fighting? I couldn't have been knocked down for that long." Eidolon implored.

"Alexandria is fighting alongside Lung nearly two kilometer to the west. Legend is assisting in our evacuation. He is stalling the enemy forces for time." Kenmei's face was grave.

Eidolon didn't immediately comprehend. "Evacuation?"

"Go to Alexandria and Lung, Eidolon. Inform them of our retreat. I must spread the message to those out of contact. Join your team and stall her. I will meet you there once I have finished."

Eidolon readied to disagree. "Kenmei, we can't _leave-_."

"Our enemy was stronger than we predicted. Too many of us are dead or wounded." The bearded man tried to make Eidolon understand. "We have lost this battle."

Eidolon shook his head. "No. We can still win this. I just have to get to Futsu-"

"_Eidolon!_" The Japanese hero shouted. "We are being overwhelmed. The order is being given across the city. _All_ allied teams are withdrawing. There will be no victory here."

Eidolon stared at his compatriot in silent disbelief. Why? He could keep fighting. Alexandria and Legend and even _Lung_ could keep fighting. Together they could _win_.

Kenmei seemed to realize his line of thought and pointed to the team he had saved minutes ago. "Look." Eidolon turned to the street they had gone. He saw why Kenmei had given the order to fall back.

The team of Japanese heroes was getting onto a group of commandeered flatbeds, but it was those already on that caught his eye.

There were nearly two dozen capes, most from Japan but some he knew from the Protectorate. Many were cradling injuries: burns, bullet wounds, lacerations and amputations. A handful were trying to give first aid but they were simply too few. Some weren't moving.

It was only then Eidolon realized what Kenmei had already grasped.

They hadn't been prepared for this.

Battles between capes were violent, yes. They could be fast paced and frenzied. But there had been some level of respect between heroes and villains. Only the scum, those who deserved the term _super_villain, battled to kill. People like that had been a relative rarity.

But this? This battle was something else. It was on a different level. Hundreds of capes had converged upon Kyushu ready to fight. They had expected an enemy that followed the status quo. They had been wrong.

So, _so_ wrong.

Their enemy didn't care about heroes or villains. They weren't fighting to make a getaway or steal valuables. The target was the entire island of Kyushu.

This wasn't a fight between two different cape factions. It was a campaign of _conquest_. Even the local villains, Lung most notably, had stepped up when they realized the threat they were facing.

As far as anyone could tell, this… warlord and her followers just wanted to take the entire island.

It seemed like she was going to succeed.

"Fine." It was nearly painful to say. But victory at the cost of hundreds of capes… he wasn't sure he could justify that. Not when much of the region had been evacuated already.

"We will have another chance. Help Alexandria and Lung."

Eidolon nodded tersely and flew upwards. He looked down and saw Kenmei blurring away through the city. He grimaced and headed southwest.

It only took Eidolon a few minutes to get to where Alexandria and Lung had last been seen. He wished he had been faster, but gaining a speed power could put him at a disadvantage once he arrived to the fight.

Then he saw them.

Alexandria was in the grip of a woman. Flames had encompassed Alexandria's entire body, with one of the warlord's hands gripping her throat while the other poured flames directly into Alexandria's mouth and nose.

Eidolon dropped to street level and let loose a blast of his liquid power, sending the woman skidding away.

Alexandria was dropped onto the ground and landed limply. He flew over quickly to her to check on her.

"Alexandria!? Alexandria? Are you awake?" Eidolon lightly slapped her cheek and checked her pulse. He heaved a sigh of relief. She was alive but unconscious.

A rumble of thunder reached his ears. He stood and faced the woman responsible for this whole mess.

Though Eidolon had seen her before, he grimaced at the sight of her. For days the Protectorate and Japanese had been fighting a running battle against her and her supporters. For days some of the strongest capes in the world had been unable to bring her down.

She was a short woman, barely above five feet. Her entire body and head was covered by compacted flames that mimicked the appearance of samurai armor. At the brow of her helmet was a pair of curved horns forged of solid lightning. Behind the helmet two slanted eyes glowed red.

The woman _leaped_ towards him. Eidolon knew that if he gave up the power that protected him from her fire he would be burned alive within moments of coming near her.

He flew _towards_ her and positioned himself so a stream of liquid would alter her trajectory. His power didn't shoot _water, _which was vaporized too quickly by her armor, but instead some kind of coolant that could actually strike her. He hit her with a high powered blast, keeping her airborne for a few seconds.

It was enough.

A silvery dragon smashed into the figure of flame before she could reach the ground. At over forty feet long with four wings sprouting out of his back, Lung was at the most powerful Eidolon had ever seen. He absolutely _dwarfed_ the woman he was fighting.

And she was fighting him to a _standstill_.

Eidolon let go of the violet matter power and sought after one that would let him communicate to Lung. He gained a power that would let him alter sound waves, directing the projection of his voice.

Even as Lung slammed the fire-woman into his armored chest a kick from her caused the dragon to buckle over. Lung dropped her as he took a moment to recuperate.

He raised himself tall and a clawed fist was brought down on the woman, smashing her into the asphalt with a boom. Lung raised that fist and dropped the other, turning the street into a crater.

A pair of burning arms gabbed onto Lung's massive hand, digging into thick scales. Lung was pulled downwards and to the side, smashing into his own crater. The figure leaped towards his head as a blade of lightning appeared in her hand.

She aimed for his head first and punched Lung directly in the head, a deafening boom resounded from the impact. Lung's head whipped to the side. She followed it with a swing, the electric weapon burrowing into the metallic skin of his neck.

In retaliation Lung howled and rolled over, crushing the woman beneath his massive body. As Lung pushed himself upright the woman attempted to do the same.

She was stopped when a draconic foot struck her in the everything. She was _hurled_ into a building. Concrete and steel shattered around her.

"Lung, bury her!" Eidolon used his new power so that Lung could hear him despite the distance.

Lung stretched out his arms and head, using both hands and mouth to unleash white hot flames at the building's first floor.

Eidolon could make out movement within the fire. _'It's not going to come down before she's out.'_

He left Alexandria on the ground and flew closer to the building. The armored woman stepped out of the flames only to be struck by Eidolon's fluid power. A pair of hyper-compressed coolant streams impacted her fire armor. An enormous burst of steam surged out but was quickly consumed as Lung's flames continued to smelt the building's supports.

The floor under the woman's feet melted, giving her footholds against his liquid onslaught. Eidolon redirected part of the stream towards her feet. It acted like a water jet cutter, slicing into the earth and destabilizing her stance.

Without her foot placements she was knocked backwards. Just in time Lung's flames melted the support structures. Half of the building collapsed on top of her.

It was a good stalling tactic but both Lung and Eidolon knew it wouldn't last for more than a few minutes.

Already the rock and metal was starting glow red and shift as their enemy moved underneath it.

Eidolon and Lung moved back towards Alexandria as Eidolon explained Kenmei's orders. Lung was clearly angry about the command.

The giant dragon was trying to protest but his current form prevented him from forming words. For over a minute their argument went in circles: Lung not listening and Eidolon not understanding.

The stilted argument would have continued but a familiar cape came running up to them faster than any car.

"Kenmei, thank god. Explain to him please." Eidolon sighed.

The elderly man quirked a small smile. It faded quickly as he saw Alexandria. "Are you ready to leave? Is Alexandria alright?"

"Yes, I'm good to go. Alexandria is unconscious but alive."

"Good. You need to get to…" He hesitated. Eidolon didn't blame him. Japanese street names were confusing and he barely knew the city layout. "Lung can bring you there. There are heroes who need evacuation and won't make it to the ships in time. Can you get there and teleport them to the harbor?"

"Yes, I'll get them out. But we have to stall _her_," Eidolon gestured over his shoulder. "Or she's going to chase us the entire way."

"_I_ will stall her. Of us, I am fastest. I will be able to make an escape."

Lung let loose a growl at Kenmei. It seemed he still hadn't accepted the need to retreat. Kenmei began speaking to him rapidly. Eidolon didn't understand what was said but Lung was turning his head between Kenmei and the woman buried beneath the rubble.

Eidolon took a glance at the collapsed building. Steel beams and rebar were being smelted and concrete was turning into molten rock. A hand covered in fire pushed its way out of the molten slag.

All three stopped and stared as the woman pulled herself out. Her glowing red eyes glared at them from within her helmet. She walked out of the pool of lava, remnants dripping off her onto the pavement.

"Go. The others are waiting. Guard them as you escape." It was how Kenmei had always thought. He had always cared for the heroes who fought alongside him, and respected the villains he fought against. Even now he would put them before himself.

Kenmei walked towards the warlord without hesitation.

The woman was standing still. She had her gaze locked on Kenmei. Not in the two weeks since she had begun her campaign had she fought Kenmei. She had battled The Fearless Guardians. The Six Squads of Justice. Lung. The Triumvirate.

But not Kenmei. She had not yet fought the greatest hero of Japan.

Kenmei _blurred_. Behind her. Above her. To the left and the right. At her front and her back. The woman readied her stance and tensed.

The movement stopped. Kenmei's open palm was a foot away from her shoulder. Reality rippled as a pink wave of energy burst forward. The woman was flung into the air, landing her into the lobby of a business office.

Kenmei looked at Eidolon once more. "_Go!_ Get them to the harbor! They need you!"

The lobby exploded into a pillar of flame reaching nearly a hundred feet high. It seemed the woman had finally had enough of being lobbed around. The entire building caught flame. Steel and glass melted as the asphalt near her turned to liquid tar.

Lung switched his gaze between Kenmei, the woman, and off to the distance. He let out a single roar and then set off towards the meeting area.

Eidolon held Alexandria bridal style and flew towards the rendezvous point. Lung trod ahead, turning his head backwards as if he was going to rush back to the battle.

It wasn't long before they made it to the designated intersection. There were scores of capes already there and waiting. Many of them gave a halfhearted cheer as the three approached.

Eidolon handed off Alexandria to Myrddin. As soon as he held her, Alexandria vanished into one of the man's pocket dimensions. Myrddin had been with one of the groups sent to fight the warlord's followers. Eidolon had no idea if the self-proclaimed wizard had been successful or not.

Eidolon was still waiting for a teleportation power to build up. A white sphere began to appear around the group.

After many painfully slow seconds the sphere flashed.

Everything within the sphere, including the pavement they had been standing on, was at the harbor. Eidolon knew that what _had_ been here was now at the intersection deep in the city.

At one of the piers floated the last of the tinkertech ships that had brought in many of Japan's teams. They boarded as quickly as they could and those with training began to see to the wounded. There was a strangely ordered frenzy as everyone sorted themselves out. In a matter of minutes the engine began to hum and the ship started to move.

Eidolon looked out at the city. Entire blocks had been turned to rubble. Smoke poured into the sky as fires still blazed for miles inland.

It didn't look like it had been a fight between capes. It looked like a war had torn through the city. In many ways, it had. Capes had never fought like this amongst each other before. He feared what kind of precedent it would set.

Eidolon exhaled as he leaned against the rail at the back of the boat. _'I should be back there. Fighting her. I'm the only one who can hope to win.'_ He warred with the desire to leave the ship for several minutes.

The ship was slowly leaving but it seemed there was a problem with the engine, crippling their speed.

They were in the middle of the bay when he saw her. She was standing atop one of the seafront buildings. Her armor was burning as solidly as it had this morning.

Had a full day of fighting not even slowed her down? Had Kenmei already fallen? Had he been forced to flee?

She stretched out her hands, palms facing towards the ship. Electricity began to crackle between them. Eidolon shouted for a barrier team. In seconds it had grown to the size of a large beach ball. He let go of his liquid generation power as more defensive ones flittered into his mind. He grasped one and felt it grow.

The lightning blast fired, its edges melting a section of the roof its wielder was standing on. It vaulted across the open water and-

A smooth green dome appeared around the back section of the ship an instant before the lightning blast struck.

Eidolon knew it wasn't going to be enough. The forcefield power hadn't grown enough in strength to stop the attack. The barrier trembled and then began to visibly shake. But it had bought enough time for others to step up. More fields appeared behind his own.

His green barricade collapsed with a resounding thud and the electric blast struck those behind it. Most of the barriers shattered like glass under the onslaught. Some of the electricity curved away from the ship due to the powers of those on board.

The ship jolted underneath his feet and rapidly accelerated. In seconds he could barely make out the fiery form in the distance.

The ship was safe.

'_Kenmei was right. If I hadn't been here… did he know?'_

Kenmei.

He wanted to go back. An end to a week of fighting had ended in the death or capture of one of the world's foremost heroes.

This day had been a failure. _He_ had been a failure. He felt himself slide down the railway. He sat at the back of the boat. He clenched his fists. Dozens of offensive powers came to his attention, reacting to his anger and despair. He ignored them.

His hands slackened and he lowered his head. He shut his eyes for just a moment, trying to clear his head-

His head snapped up. He wasn't at the railing anymore.

He was… in a bed. _'How long- when did I?'_

He got up slowly, his muscles aching.

He took in his surroundings. There were cots everywhere. He had been in one of many. Most of them were empty. He caught sight of Alexandria down the row.

He passed the cot where Lung was lying down, his injuries almost fully regenerated. A man wearing a full facemask armed with knives and adorned with empty grenade bandoleers stood next to him silently. Eidolon nodded at him as he passed. The man lowered his head in return.

'_It's stange.'_ He thought._ 'Any other day, any other situation, and I'd have beaten them down and tossed them in a cell.'_

But not today. There would be no fighting between hero and villain until all involved parted ways. Kenmei, Alexandria and even Lung had ordered it after realizing the threat the woman posed as her forces descended upon Kyushu. It was a miracle that all the villains who had answered Lung's call for support had respected that order.

Eidolon came up to Alexandria, also resting in a cot of her own. Though she was physically fine she had clearly exerted herself. She was slowly working her way through a ration bar.

Alexandria's head was wrapped in a white towel, allowing her to see and eat without showing her face. She was wearing what looked like a simple bathrobe. Much of her costume had been incinerated by the warlord during the various attempts to burn the oxygen out of her lungs. Eidolon could only be thankful the attempts had not lasted long enough to kill her.

He opened his mouth but she cut him off. "We're en route to Sukumo Bay. It's been designated as our staging ground. Medical supplies and support are already being set up there. Most of the wounded are on the deck beneath us."

"Alexandria…"

She raised her head. He wasn't sure what he had hoped to see but he had not been expecting such a cold glint. Stony eyes stared back at him. He couldn't see her face but he had no doubt of the expression on it.

"I'm not sure what this will mean for the Protectorate. We'll have to spin this so we don't come across as weak. Play up her brutality and sadism."

"Alex-"

"Excuse me, Eidolon. I need to think."

"I… of course. Just… ask if you need anything." He surrendered to her wishes. If he had been Hero, he might have been able to get her to talk or smile, to lighten the burden she was going to be carrying.

But he wasn't Hero. He couldn't bring himself to try. Not after a loss like this.

He walked back towards his own cot, wondering what he could do to help the wounded when a Japanese cape came running into the cabin. He rushed up to the television on the wall and turned it on.

On the screen was the woman he had been fighting less than an hour ago.

The caption at the bottom scrolled across: HEROES IN RETREAT FROM SOUTHERN JAPAN - KYUSHU CONQUERED BY SUPERVILLAIN - EXODUS UNDERWAY-

Her fiery helm took up most of the screen. The image zoomed out. In her hand lightning sparked and solidified into a curved katana.

Behind her stood a lineup of her lieutenants. Most wore leather armor and helmets. A trio stood wearing samurai-like powered armor. Only a few wore what westerners would call a regular costume.

To her left was Kenmei, chained to a post. He was beaten, bloody, and burned but very much alive. Both of his legs were missing. They had been cauterized just above the knees.

Dread gripped Eidolon. He knew what was coming. He felt movement at his side and noticed Alexandria had come up next to him. Her eyes didn't move from the television. Even Lung had sat up from his bunk to watch. His held was held high, perhaps as some sign of respect.

The woman in flame armor spoke. It was a terrifying sound. It was as if the roar of fire and the boom of thunder had been put into words.

"My rivals lay dead. Your heroes are vanquished. _Defeated_. They are but scattered ash in my wake. Kenmei, leader of Japan's greatest heroes,_ stands…_" She chuckled at the sick joke "…at my mercy. Let the world know my strength. Let it know its heroes are _nothing_. This man… a hero among heroes has failed his country. Has failed his followers."

Her eyes narrowed. "He has failed against _me_."

She walked towards her captive. She continued speaking.

"Let the world know I am the rightful ruler of Japan. This island is but the first step. Any attempt to repel me shall be met with fire. Those who resist shall face lightning. All who deny me… will be greeted by death.

"I am Futsunushi. I am a _goddess_. And this land is _mine_."

Eidolon stared at the television in mute anguish. At one of the most important times in his life… with the hopes of an entire country behind him… he had failed.

The woman, the _monster_, clasped the lightning blade with both hands and raised it above her head.

"Kenmei, die knowing your failure."

The old man stared at the woman who had killed so many of his comrades. He had the gall to smile at her.

"No."

Futsunushi roared. The fire of her armor flared. The lightning descended.

* * *

AN:

Futsunushi (Warlord)

Brute 10; Mover 2; Blaster 7

Futsunushi is a powerful dynakinetic and has engaged the Triumvirate on multiple occasions. Following her factions's victory during the Conquest of Kyushu over the many Heroes who opposed her, Futsunushi declared herself Shogun of Kyushu. Japan has been unable to take back its lost territory, though the supervillain Lung makes regular crusades to claim the island for himself.

Futsunushi possesses immense strength and durability. Her outfit consists of armor made of solid flames, capable of vaporizing all but the most durable tinkertech materials and heat-immune parahumans. She is usually armed with a sword or spear of cohesive lightning. She is capable of throwing these objects, along with standard lightning and fire, considerable distances.


	2. The Second

_Worthy Opponents_

_The Second_

It was raining out. Taylor didn't really care.

It was night out. She didn't really care about that either.

She penned a quick note in case her father came home before she did. _Out running. Have spray. _

She doubted he would. He'd thrown himself into work shortly after her mother's death. With the troubles in Asia, shipping on the east coast had surged along with trade to and from Europe.

He had no end of work.

He also had no time for her.

She shut her eyes. Trying desperately to focus on the route she was mapping in her mind. Thinking… _feeling_… both hurt a lot these days.

Taylor put on a hoodie and pulled the hood over her head. She shut the door and locked it behind her.

Emma had finally given back her mother's flute.

She hadn't gone to class for the rest of the day. She simply sat in her room absolutely silent, desperately pretending the flute was still missing.

She hadn't realized how much she could hate someone she once called sister.

Taylor ran. It didn't matter that it was raining. It didn't matter that her clothes were soaking wet. It didn't matter that she nearly tripped over a parked bicycle. It didn't matter that she almost ran into the random passerby.

She just kept running. Her thoughts drifted back to better times. Times before she had to _pretend_ to look forward to each coming day. Before she had to put on an act for her own father whenever he could be bothered to show up.

She even tried to reimagine her old fantasies of being like Alexandria. Flying high and fast and stopping the bad guys. She wanted someone to stop _her_ villains-

'_No. Stop thinking about it.'_

She was on the home stretch back to her house. She nearly stumbled. She hadn't realized her pace or her location. Her breath was ragged, her clothes drenched. She wanted to get away. To _not_ be in a house all by herself.

This wasn't working.

She pushed herself to run faster. She could handle another loop.

Taylor thought of her friend: A traitor. Of her dad: Nonexistent. Of her mom: Dead.

She squinted her eyes shut.

She wished she was stronger. Strong enough to have protected the flute. Strong enough to fight against her tormentors.

She wanted the flute back. She wanted her friend back. She wanted her _mom back_. She wanted the rain to stop making her-

-feel_ worse_.

She didn't notice as water began to wrap around her body. She didn't notice her skin turn to leather or her mouth seal shut. She didn't notice her senses expand to all the water around her.

Taylor only noticed she started picking up speed. Her eyes widened drastically as she neared a small tree planted in the sidewalk. She changed her stance and planted her feet. She tried to stop her feet from moving and still went sliding a dozen meters. Her shoes were torn to pieces.

The tree trunk was crushed into pulp with an audible _crack_.

At least the sound of the tree hitting the ground was lost in the downpour.

'_Wait… what?'_ She hadn't hit it. The water that had been on her body had kept moving forward. _She_ had stopped.

She looked down at the broken remains of the tree and noticed scraps of cloth.

She looked down and tried to scream. She couldn't. Her clothes had been ripped off by the movement of the water, but that wasn't what she cared about.

She turned around and ran back to her home; realizing she had gone passed it by two houses. The door was locked. Her key had been in her pants pocket. Naked, she ran back out to the fallen tree and found the remains of her pants.

She fumbled with picking up the key; her fingers had turned to claws. She nearly heaved as the water on the street wrapped around the key and pulled it up to her palm.

She noted her own lack of sound and drew her claws over her face. She couldn't feel her lips.

She started crying.

She ran back to her front door, all the while desperately hoping no one would come and look out of a window. Once again the water around her reacted as she tried to open the lock. It pushed the key forward and _turned_.

Taylor shuddered as the key moved without her actually touching it.

She rushed inside and slammed the door behind her.

Only after flipping the locks again from the inside did she rush up to her room.

She looked toward the closet.

She thought it was a monster. It was hairless and naked, with its skin alternating between a blackish green leather and human skin. Elongated, uneven arms and clawed hands stretched out at its sides. A pair of twisted looking legs ended with massive claws extending out where toes should be. A tail as long it was tall stretched out behind it. A pair of eyes glowed green in an otherwise distorted face.

Her closet door was closed. She could see the mirror attached to it.

She tried to scream.

She still didn't have a mouth.

Taylor went to her toilet and sunk to her knees. She could _feel _her body try to vomit.

There she stayed; curled up on the floor as she wept.

* * *

_Six Weeks Later_

Taylor walked out of Winslow slowly. Her shoulder was pushed roughly by Sophia as the girl passed by, snickering at her. Taylor followed her tried and true tactic of staying silent and waiting for her tormentors to get bored.

Like always, Sophia grinned at Taylor's lack of response. Taylor didn't understand that girl. It was as if every time Taylor didn't fight back she had scored a victory. Perhaps that was her game? Push her into retaliating and be punished by the school. Or by Emma's dad. Something that would go on record. She managed to withhold a smirk at Sophia's back. _'I can outlast you.'_

Taylor pushed thoughts of the trio out of her mind. There were more important things she was doing this weekend.

It had been a month and half since she had… changed. Triggered.

It had taken _hours_, well past midnight, before the changes had faded and she returned to her normal appearance.

Her dad still hadn't come home by the time she had turned back. She was both hateful and relieved at that. She couldn't believe that he hadn't been there to help her. But she was also glad. Glad that she didn't need to explain anything to him. Glad that he hadn't _seen_ her in that state; physical _and_ emotional.

It was the middle of the night by the time she had pulled herself together. Taylor had put on a new set of clothes and gone back into the raining night.

She had wanted to stay dry. She had. The water had _warped_ itself away from her as she worked. She went out to the tree and picked up as much of her ruined clothing as she could before going back to her room and lying down in bed.

She hadn't slept that night.

But that had been then.

Now?

The tall girl smiled to herself. Now she had control. In the safety of her hoodies' front pocket she curled her fingers and the tips turned into black claws. The fingers slackened and the claws vanished.

She was a Changer. Or at least that's what PHO led Taylor to believe. _'I don't even need a costume. I can go and be a hero.'_ Maybe she'd even get lucky and meet Alexandria one day?

She would be going out tonight. Her father had left this morning for a weeklong meeting in New York with a freight company there.

It was the perfect time. _'Now or never, Taylor.'_ She told herself.

She made her way back home and made a small dinner. She turned on the television for something to listen to.

The news droned on about another parahuman conflict breaking out in Southeast Asia. Ignited by some warlord's power play against Futsunushi. Erawan, another powerful cape in the area, was taking advantage of the chaos. The Triumvirate and the Guild was expected to be sent soon to try and stabilize the region.

As she ate she looked over the maps of the city she had detailed and what little she had figured out about the gang territories.

If she had been honest with herself, Taylor would have admitted she had no idea where to start. She wanted to do something good for the city but criminals didn't operate in plain view of the public. Probably. Did capes do things differently?

'_I'll just… go to the docks and look around. Gangs do deals at the docks at night. I think.'_

She was _clearly _well prepared.

Taylor waited until well past nightfall before leaving her house. She put on her jogging outfit and carried her backpack with her so she would have a place to put her clothes when she transformed.

Taylor decided to follow her regular route at first and then set off towards the coastline. As she got closer Taylor changed her course and jogged down an alley. She ducked behind a garbage bin and took a look for security cameras. She removed her clothes quickly before stowing them in her backpack.

She felt herself stretch and distort. Her senses changed. Taste and smell were gone. Her hydroclairvoyance, limited in her human form, expanded to beyond the city.

She captured some of the water in the air and used it to create a suit around herself. She had learned that by manipulating water around her body she could make herself move even faster than usual in this form.

Taylor had picked apart the events of her trigger thoroughly. She was desperate to not accidentally damage her home the way she had that first tree.

With a leap and a push of her powers she jumped onto the roof far above her head. She rapidly made her way to the shorefront, bounding over rooftops as if she had done it for years.

It was exhilarating. It was as if she was free to do whatever she wanted.

As she reached the final building along the waterfront she shook her head. She had a job to do. She was going to be a hero. She reached out with her water sense as she looked along the darkened docks and piers.

Nothing.

She moved farther to the south. Nothing. She went back north and passed by her starting point.

'_Ok. This- this is ok. I'll just go inland and find… find some criminals. Maybe the Empire.'_

She took one last look at the docks before staring at the ocean. It was only then that she noticed something strange. It had been there, in her hydroclairvoyance, but she hadn't realized it was _wrong _until she looked at the gentle waves.

There was an area on the surface where the water wasn't moving normally. It was… pressing up against something. It wasn't the platform of the Protectorate HQ in the distance. It was an arched section of water but she couldn't see anything in the bay.

Was there another parahuman out there?

With a running jump she soared across the walkway below her and into the water. She dipped into the ocean with barely a splash.

Taylor relished the feeling of power and freedom she had in the open water. When she transformed it was like being able to walk after so long in a wheelchair. This? She couldn't even put _words_ to this. Like a new aspect of the world opened up before her and she was its master.

Her head shook back and forth rapidly. _'No. No. Focus. Be a hero.'_

She reached out with her powers and searched for the invisible disturbance in the water. There.

She moved rapidly under the surface to the disturbance. Now that she was closer, she could see the waves press up against a surface, but she still couldn't _see_ anything.

She got even closer.

A pair of blinders was removed and she could see. It was an ugly, piecemeal ship. Its engine was loud, its hull was rusted, and it was filled with people just as grimy as the boat they were in.

How the hell had she not noticed… wait. Tinkers. Of course.

She had done her research on the local gangs. These were Merchants. Quite a few of them. What were they doing out here?

As if to answer one of the lower windows exploded outwards. There was shouting above and below deck.

One person's voice rose above the others. "Who did that!? Who! Did! That!? Somebody slap that bitch! God _damn_ how much did we just lose!?"

Her green eyes narrowed. A floating meth lab. '_Scum.'_

She hesitated for just a moment. She knew she was stronger in this form, but could it take gunfire? She thought so. Could she handle it if there was a parahuman on board? Or more than one?

Green eyes narrowed in determination. She could do this.

She pounced out of the water and struck two merchants with her body, knocking them down.

Their pained shouts drew the attention of everyone there.

For a moment all the Merchants were still as they looked at the nine foot tall parahuman that had come out of nowhere and attacked their _invisible ship_.

A man wearing a mask that revealed his incredibly bad teeth was the first to act. "Waste this fucker!"

Several pulled out handguns and opened fire in seconds. Taylor cringed in anticipation. She hadn't thought they would go to guns straight away.

She didn't have to worry. The bullets were barely an irritant, like a fly landing on bare skin.

Her confidence restored Taylor rushed towards the men firing at her. One by one she shadow punched the Merchants off the boat, using water from her afterimage to do the actual pushing.

A single shot struck her in the shoulder. Unlike the others it… kind of hurt. She turned and looked at the masked man. He was reloading a much larger handgun than the others had used. But that shouldn't have…

She remembered Skidmark's reported power.

'_He used his power to increase the bullet speed?'_

She used her hydrokinesis to move faster than he could aim. In less than a second she was on him. She used her water to rip the gun out of his hand and place it in hers.

Effortlessly she crushed the pistol in one hand and used the other to press her fingers _through_ the wall next to Skidmark's head. He watched wild-eyed as the long claws punctured metal with ease.

He stared at her blankly, completely unmoving. She picked him up. Still no response. She shrugged and threw him off with the rest of the gangers.

Another man came up the stairwell from below. He was covered head to toe in scrap metal and plastic garbage. _'Mush. PHO says he can use trash like power armor.'_

With a yell the villain charged her. She didn't move.

Mush threw his fist back and tried to punch her in the face with an armored fist. At the last moment Taylor raised a clawed hand to block it.

The attack didn't even make her hand tremble. Mush lowered his arms and stared at her in dismay. "Aww…"

Her tail whipped him in the gut and off the ship.

She touched the seawater with her powers and forced the surrounding ocean to be still. _Perfectly_ still. The Merchants she had thrown into the bay found their bodies immobile. It was as if the water had turned to rock.

If she had a mouth she'd be smiling.

Instead her tail just wagged back and forth.

* * *

Armsmaster pulled his motorcycle onto the side of the road. Multiple reports had come in about a disturbance near the northern section of the commercial docks.

Most often the PRT and Protectorate would have let the police send an officer first. But this time there had been enough reports that it warranted heavier attention.

It became especially important once someone had called in 'a ship being dragged by a damn monster.'

Before him were various warehouses and storage depots for the freight industry. It was also a prime location to hide drugs and contraband hidden among regular boxes.

Armsmaster walked down the lane for semi-trucks leading to the oceanfront freight stations.

As he turned the corner he saw it. It wasn't even bothering to hide.

It was standing still in the darkness. The light from one of the warehouse's lampposts shone on the ground between him and it. The light prevented his eyes from adjusting to the darkness and disrupted ability to see it clearly.

He frowned heavily. He wished that his _new_ helmet, complete with night vision and lie detector software, wasn't sitting unfinished at his workbench.

It stood taller than he was by nearly three feet. He could make out a long, whip-like tail and noticed its legs were bent oddly. '_Digitrade? I've seen stranger things…'_

It seemed to be doing _something_ at the edge of the lit area. He gripped his halberd in preparation for the worst and spoke.

"This is-" It whipped around and Armsmaster could easily make out two glowing green eyes in a strangely flat face. "I am Armsmaster. I received a report regarding… something strange going on in the area. I need to ask: hero or villain?"

The creature's head tilted to the side. A claw as long as his hand came up to its face and tapped its chin. Armsmaster realized that it actually _was_ unbroken skin. The thing couldn't talk.

It took a step forward into the streetlamp's light and allowed Armsmaster a much clearer view of it.

"Please remain where you are. Are you a hero? Nod yes or no."

Instead of answering as he had asked, the tall creature lifted a wickedly clawed hand and held out a rope of water. It took slow, purposeful steps forward and dragged its cargo into the light.

The 'rope' led back several feet behind it to a tinkertech ship. He would recognize that half-scrap design anywhere. Squealer.

At first only the prow of the vessel appeared but then its sides became visible. A group of Merchants were strapped to both panels of the ship with a giant net of solid… liquid. Wrapped around the bottom of the ship was a layer of water acting like a boat trailer and preventing it from scraping along the pavement.

The armored hero could plainly make out a water-gagged Skidmark and Mush at the head of both sides.

Armsmaster didn't really know how to respond to that at first. It took him several moments to realize that this creature, this cape, had just declared itself a hero. Probably. It also seemed to be an incredibly strong or skilled one.

So he fell back to protocol.

He radioed a message to the PRT for criminal pickup and quietly requested Miss Militia for Public Relations Support and Assistance.

He turned back to the cape and spoke. "PRT vans are on their way to detain the criminals. I'd like you to stay so we can take your statement about what happened."

The cape's head tilted slowly.

* * *

_Months Later_

_Gulf of Mexico_

Taylor swam through the ocean at speeds vessels could only dream of.

She had a job to do.

Even as she extended her hydroclairvoyance to its maximum range her eyes glowed with joy. That night she had been given a sales pitch to join the Protectorate. Not the Wards. The _Protectorate_.

She had turned them down shortly after. She wasn't willing to give up her name or age, which had been a requirement. Not to mention the rules and stipulations of the heroes had been… stifling.

She didn't want that.

Maybe in a few years. After she had done things her own way for a while. After she told her dad about her powers. After she stopped lying to him about being over at Emma's on the weekends.

The bitter part of her was reminded that he was barely around the house to notice.

So she was still a vigilante according to the PRT. It didn't bother her. Her cooperation made her 'a valuable oceanic asset' according to Armsmaster.

But she wasn't stupid. Director Piggot didn't want her disrupting the 'status quo' of Brockton Bay. The woman had explained several times about the balance of power within the city. She hadn't listened. More than a few Empire gangers and capes were now in cells thanks to her.

The PRT wanted her outside of Brockton. So they offered her jobs that took her away.

Once the Protectorate had found out what speeds she could travel at they had arranged a communication system so she could assist in various east coast emergencies. Usually it was helping in search and rescue for ships.

She had saved lives.

Tanifa had saved lives.

That was what the news called her. A protective guardian who lived within dangerous currents.

But recently there had been an influx of parahuman cartel activity. The South American syndicates had begun pushing into Protectorate nations in the last several weeks and the PRT was having difficulty intercepting them.

So what if she was skipping the first day back from winter break?

She was doing something _important_.

…That the water was beautiful here didn't hurt.

A large object appeared on the edge of her senses. She turned and swiftly headed north. It had managed to pass her patrol?

She quickly caught up to the object: a submarine. A… very strange looking submarine. She brought up her sealed wrist-computer, built to withstand high water pressures. _Built by Armsmaster himself!_ She checked for registered ships that were supposed to be in the area.

Nope.

She reached out and grappled the submersible with the ocean itself, swam to the front of it, and started pulling.

* * *

"Cocaine. A metric shit-ton of it, too. How did the cartels even _get_ a submarine?"

"Tinkers, obviously."

A group of Protectorate heroes and PRT investigators stood nearby the Miami PHQ. The Triumvirate itself was there, having been scheduled for a public relations event.

The submarine itself stood on a literal plateau of water out in the ocean. Though it was technically in clear view of the surrounding area, a wall of water towered around them. It reached high above the nearby buildings and offered a level of privacy for the Protectorate and PRT as they worked to identify which cartel had sent it.

The cape that had brought it in stood before Alexandria. A claw was tracing lines on its open palm.

Legend chuckled. "I think she wants your autograph, Alexandria."

Eidolon looked at Legend, his face troubled.

"I feel… oddly rejected."

* * *

Tanifa : Hero (Independent)

Brute 6; Mover 6 (11 in open water); Shaker 10; Changer ?

A Protectorate ally, Tanifa is believed to be the most powerful hydrokinetic on the planet. Tanifa patrols much of the east coast of North America and is based in Brockton Bay. She has refused repeated requests to scale back her activities in the city itself, causing tensions to rise among the numerous gangs in the area. Despite this Tanifa has assisted in various emergencies both off-shore and across the east coast and Gulf of Mexico. She has proven vital in efforts to intercept South American cartel ocean convoys into Protectorate member nations.

Her physical appearance makes some believe she is a Case 53, but Tanifa herself has verified it is a transformation. Tanifa is incapable of speaking and must use a text-to-speech device to communicate. Tanifa has been tracked at supersonic speeds in open water and uses her hydrokinetic water-echo to increase her movement speed while on land.

AN: Tanifa is the bastardized English pronunciation of Taniwha. A protective, if sometimes vicious, water creature from folklore.


	3. The Third

_Worthy Opponents_

_The Third_

"Alexandria, I know you're smarter than me but… this seems farfetched." Despite the information laid out before him, Legend was skeptical.

In his defense, the documents arrayed before him appeared to be nothing more than random accidents. There were over forty cases on the desk. Between them all there was only a single aspect that linked them.

Over half of the victims had been parahumans. Of those who hadn't been, ten had become parahumans in the time since.

The most recent had been in New York. One of Legend's newest Wards had been knocked down by a delivery man, whose shipping dolly then lost balance and tipped its heavy cargo onto the boy's foot.

"He's going to be out of commission for _weeks_ unless I can get a hold of one of the _very_ few capes who can heal." Legend stared at her firmly. "I'm not happy that one of my Wards, a teenager under my protection, might have been targeted."

He paused and pointed a finger at his female friend. "But you've got no proof and the kid himself said he was being careless. All you have is that Contessa woman telling you to investigate this. Did she even _say_ why?" He asked exasperatedly.

"There have been forty two of these convoluted accidents. This-" Alexandria was cut off.

"Over the last year and a half and you didn't answer me. Alexandria… " Legend massaged his nose. "Let's say you're right. Let's say that these were all caused by the same person. Some shaker who can affect probability; I don't know. What do we do?"

Alexandria was silent.

"Each one of these happened in a different place, at a different time. As far as we can tell no one involved from one accident was _ever_ near another." Legend protested.

Alexandria remained unmoved. "We have to investigate. Contessa came to the conclusion that _someone_ is purposely altering the power structure of parahuman groups in major Protectorate cities. But she can't determine who. Because these capes weren't present for future battles due to their injuries there have been obvious shifts in Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas, Boston, Atlanta, Quebec, and Mexico City."

Legend folded his arms. "_Assuming_ Contessa is right… we still have no suspects, no leads, and no actual evidence. All we have is a bunch of accidents across the entire continent that only barely looks connected. We can't take down a villain if we can't_ find them_."

"I can find them." The two members of the Triumvirate turned to look at the third. Eidolon himself seemed startled he had said it.

Alexandria pounced. "Why? What are your powers telling you?"

Eidolon frowned. "I'm… not sure. I have some Thinker powers going and I'm getting a lot of information about the cases. But it's… it's like they're… "

He broke off his sentence and looked thoughtful for several long moments. Legend and Alexandria shared a glance.

"Eidolon?" Alexandria asked.

"I'm fine. It's just hard to put into words." He looked at his teammates. "I'll look into the incidents. If necessary I can oversee a larger investigation. My powers are telling me I _will_ find something."

Alexandria stared at him intensely. She nodded her head in agreement. Legend threw up his hands and leaned back in his seat.

Eidolon leaned back in his chair and considered his next step forward. He was glad they hadn't pressed him on his powers' input.

How could he explain that his powers _weren't_ telling him that the accidents were connected?

He just knew that they were. He knew.

* * *

_At That Same Time_

In Toronto there was a hotel. Across the street was a gas station. If asked many of the hotel guests would say that it was convenient for them.

One of those very people walked out of the hotel and towards her car. A large black SUV had parked too close to her stall the night before and forced her to squeeze through a barely open car door. She pulled out of the hotel and crossed the street.

She got out of her car, paid the machine, and moved to take the nozzle out of its holster.

A pigeon took off from a nearby garbage can and picked up speed. It flew right past the woman's head. As she shrieked and ducked to avoid the bird her hand squeezed the gas lever.

A small amount of gasoline splashed onto the pavement.

The woman smoothed her ruffled clothing, looked for more birds, and filled the tank. Finished, she quickly started the engine and never looked back.

Thirty two seconds later another car pulled in.

This time it was a young man in his early twenties. He'd been out drinking with friends the night before. A girl had poured her drink onto his pants when he tried to hit on her. Badly.

He had put on that same pair of jeans this morning.

He moved over to the pump and pulled out his wallet. As he pulled it out, the edge of his wallet tugged the chain of his car keys, causing them to fall out of his pocket. The keys struck each other and the pavement.

A single spark was created as they hit the ground.

The gasoline on the pavement caught fire. It jumped almost instantly to the alcohol soaked into his pants.

The man started shouting. He could feel the flames lick at his skin.

Fourteen minutes later the man was in an ambulance and on his way to the local hospital.

As the ambulance blasted its siren it passed through an intersection, bringing traffic to a halt. In that intersection there was a man in a brand new electric sedan.

The ambulance passed but the man was stuck waiting for the very same stoplight to turn green. Again. The man pressed his head against the steering wheel. He was going to be _late_.

The light turned green. He pressed on the gas pedal. As he neared the next stoplight it turned red faster than he expected. He put his foot on the brake. His cell phone, sitting on the passenger seat, was flung forward.

A homeless man pushed a shopping cart across the crosswalk.

"Oh come on!" The driver shouted. The homeless man must have heard, as he stopped and stared for several seconds before flipping him off.

When the light finally turned green the car accelerated forwards. His phone rang. The man tried to read the caller but the phone was facing downward.

The man, desperate to answer his phone, reached over and tried to pick it up without removing his foot from the gas pedal. The only cars were far up ahead. It was a straight road so he didn't need to move the wheel. As he leaned over to the floor of the passenger side his finger scraped the edge of the phone.

He took a look back at the road and the stoplight and the cars far away. There was a small line of shops along the side of the road, but no one was leaving them. There was still plenty of time. Good.

He reached back over. He pressed on the pedal, the acceleration of the car causing the phone to slide neatly into his hand.

He smiled and sat back up.

Then he slammed his foot on the brakes.

A heavy object smashed into the front of his car and flew forward.

His car managed to stop before he ran over-

A splatter of red was on his windshield.

His mouth worked silently. His hands started to shake.

"Oh my god."

Jittering, he got out of his car and looked at the masked figure lying on the asphalt.

"_Ohmygod."_

Back at the hotel's parking lot the black SUV started its engine.

* * *

_Two Weeks Later_

In an air traffic control center, responsible for tracking and monitoring the flight paths for much of North America, Kyle Wilkins sat sipping his cup of coffee. At such an early hour it was necessary for him to stay awake.

He absolutely loved this coffee. Was it a Hawaiian blend? He savored the taste.

He heard a pair of keys jangle behind him. He spun in his chair and saw one of his coworkers getting ready to leave. He called out to the man.

"Hey Chuck, I wanted to ask. This is your mix right? What brand is it? Thinkin' of getting some myself."

The instant the screen left his vision a small blip appeared.

Moving faster than any of the planes around it, it weaved across the screen. It was heading northeast.

A single second before the traffic controller turned back to his monitor the object disappeared.

Kyle looked at the screen. Nothing out of order.

He took another sip and smiled.

It really was good coffee.

* * *

It was 2:37 in the morning, but the villain Coil was fully alert.

Coil walked into the management office of a Fortress Inc. manufacturing center. It was filled to the brim with files, phones, desks and cabinets. To the back was the actually factory, holding all manner of security equipment in different stages of completion.

He was waiting for someone.

The two had arranged this meeting so that neither would have time to set up an ambush or a trap. He had been allowed to choose the meeting place and his 'future associate' had been allowed to pick the time.

They had exchanged the information barely fifteen minutes ago.

Of course, he had decided this meeting spot ever since he had contacted the illusive information broker. A team of his mercenaries were in the building next door, exactly where they had been for the last six days.

He had specifically chosen this location. Without any sign of breaking or entering, they would think that he either had access to this particular facility or that he had an agent who did.

Coil had been very careful in his selection of those who worked at this location. Every employee, down to the last, did not have a single thing to do with _this_ part of his life. Not them, not their families, not their second relations.

If any of the capes he met here looked into the personnel, they would find nothing.

And if they looked higher in the management?

The only person they would find was Thomas Calvert. A thin man who happened to be a friend and occasional advisor to Director Piggot. A former PRT agent who had gained a minor but unhidden bias against parahumans after Ellisburg.

They would see a company that was dedicated to providing security equipment _against_ villains. They would see a man who had nothing to gain and everything to lose by _aiding_ one.

They would see exactly what he wanted.

He opened the side door to the building and waited patiently for his guest. He didn't need to wait long at all. In a matter of minutes he saw the woman step out around the corner of the neighboring building.

For a moment Coil stood transfixed.

The woman was tall. Her figure was perfect. She wore a red dress and heeled sandals which accentuated that perfection. Her lower face was concealed by a scarf of the same color. Her skin was an alabaster white with platinum hair that fell down her back. On her back itself, a pair of wings was folded against bare skin. The feathers seemed to gleam slightly in the starlight.

She was absolutely, perfectly, _disturbingly_ beautiful. Had Coil been religious he might have said she looked like an angel.

He mentally scolded himself. Instead he catalogued her as he knew her to be. A winged parahuman.

No more and no less.

He heard a small buzzing sound. It was likely just a passing insect. He ignored it.

She neared him and he saw her eyes. They were fully silver with no visible pupil. They gave her an otherworldly appearance.

As they finally came face to face, her eyes crinkled. She was clearly smiling beneath the scarf. She stretched out her hands and gestured to herself, her wings extending.

The winged parahuman spoke. Her voice was light and she stared with unblinking silver eyes. "Good morning, Coil. I hope you don't mind the time? This was the best for my schedule, but even then I'll need to make a phone call in a few minutes."

Beneath his bodysuit Coil raised an eyebrow. "At two in the morning?"

She shrugged and her wings shifted with the movement of her shoulders. "Time change."

Coil nodded. "Shall we sit?"

Her eyes crinkled slightly again and she followed him to a conference room. Coil considered his possibilities. He could try for her identity, which no one in the underworld seemed to know. Maybe for a better understanding of her powers or simply to see how she reacted.

Coil activated his power. _He spun on his heel and lunged towards her chair. His muscles tensed for a fight as his hand rose to rip off the scarf_-

The timeline collapsed.

'…_What?'_

Under his mask Coil frowned. That had never happened before. He took a seat and she followed suit. She sat down across from him, leaning forward so her wings wouldn't press against the chair. That the position showed off her chest was no doubt intentional.

Coil steepled his hands. "You come highly recommended. I'm very interested in acquiring your services for a prolonged period."

He created a new world. _He reached for the gun hidden under the table. _That reality collapsed.

His brows furrowed.

Her eyes creased in a hidden smile as she answered. "I usually don't make any long term commitments. If someone wants to know they ask and they pay. My involvement is as an independent party. As a rule I don't take sides. Ever."

"Hmm. I suppose." Coil activated his power.

"I know your time is valuable, but could you explain your name? I've only heard it twice and I'm sure my associates mispronounced it."

"_Hear my proposal. This city is one of the most profitable, most cape-active in the country. And it's going to be mine. It will simply take time. But with you it will be done faster, easier. . Do you truly want no part of that power?" _ Coil didn't let his surprise show. So his power was working now?

"Penemue. The fallen angel who taught mankind the bitter sweetness of truth and the secrets of wisdom, so that they might be led astray." She laughed lightly, and her eyes glinted in a way that Coil couldn't place and didn't like. "I put so much thought into my name. Seraphim, Archangel, Grigori, The Watcher. I like my choice." She nodded her head, as if that alone justified it.

He supposed it did.

"_No, not really. I don't need a city." She shrugged._ He collapsed that reality.

She wanted money but not power? Strange but acceptable. He needed to find different leverage. If it came down to it, money was always available.

"Hm. An interesting name. _Do_ you lead people astray?" He subtly looked around the room. The buzzing sound hadn't left yet. Had the bug managed to get inside?

Her eyes narrowed to razor thin slits. "Only when someone wants something they can't afford."

Coil activated his power. Intimidation. Would she fold?

_He rose slowly from his seat. "And what do you think I-" _The world collapsed.

Coil's mouth thinned. "Fair enough. Is there a way so that I could contact you quickly? If I needed to speak with you immediately? The nature of my business means time is important. A difference of minutes can change much."

Coil was shocked at her response.

She threw back her head and _laughed_. She laughed and laughed, leaving Coil genuinely worried about her mental health.

After almost a full minute, he had counted, she seemed to calm down. She was breathing hard and still snickering. "Oh oh…" She looked at him with those wide, silver eyes. "I'm sorry. I am. Ignore that." Her eyes nearly alight with entertainment.

Coil created a new reality. _"I don't think I will."_ The reality vanished. What the _hell_ was going on? What was wrong with his power?

Coil shook his head. "I don't like being mocked."

Penemue leaned further forward, mock whispering in humor. "I wasn't _mocking you_." She hesitated. "Well, a little. But I am an information broker and I am fully aware that timing…" She glanced at the clock on the wall. "…is important. I need to make that call now."

Coil watched, part insulted and part intrigued as she pulled a phone out of her dress. Did she have internal pockets?

The alabaster lady waited on the phone for several seconds. Coil heard a muffled voice; while he couldn't place it he _could_ tell it was female and definitely not speaking English. "Citadel is going to attack your border in two hours. Unless you are present at the beginning you will lose eighty two percent of everyone present."

She hung up and put the phone away. Her eyes crinkled into another smile as she put her attention back on him.

"That was?" He prodded.

"A client."

Coil used his power. "_I tire of your jokes and disresp-"_ The world vanished. Coil's hand clenched. This woman… was doing something to his power. Disrupting it. It had to be her.

Coil had to stop himself from rubbing his ear. The buzzing hadn't left. He wanted to leave, but if he could get _anything_ out of this meeting it might be worth this.

Penemue interrupted his thoughts. "So where were we?"

"I wanted to know if there was a way to set up a similar system to what you just did. Inform me of attacks and problems and I _will_ pay you afterwards." He offered.

She nodded. "That's acceptable. Of course if you ever miss a payment…" Her white wings unfurled slightly. "Contract canceled."

After a moment of indecision Coil made a request. "If you don't mind, can I have an example? Proof that the phone call wasn't just for show. That your information is good."

She snickered, silver eyes flickering in amusement. "You know my information is good. So do your associates. It's why you requested me. I'm the _best _information broker. I know everything I need to know. All the time."

"For my peace of mind, could you give me an illustration? You just gave _someone_ knowledge of an incoming attack. If such information is consistently accurate, it would be of immense value." Was she a precognitive? She had to be.

He massaged the side of his head, making it look like he wasn't bothered. That buzzing was starting to truly bother him. Was it the electricity in the building?

"So please. Tell me something useful and useless. Something I can find out later but isn't… beneficial to me professionally."

"Very well." She folded her arms under chest and leaned back. "I… will tell you your beginning."

Coil let his head tilt. "My beginning." He deadpanned.

Penemue smiled. "Yes. Beginnings are important. Everything has a beginning."

Coil remained silent.

She sighed. "Endings are important too, but beginnings are superior here. Three then two then one then three then four."

Coil's eyes widened. He tried to focus on what she was saying but that _damned sound_ had started to give him a headache.

"Those who don't listen to proverbs will never sound wise. Many men live their lives hoping for what will never come. Sometimes the best thing to happen is nothing at all. California has a wonderful sky but a difficult ground. Vertigo is three times more common in women than in men."

Coil stared blankly. "What."

"Yes."

"Yes, what!?" He was starting to get genuinely upset. And with his power not working… he grew concerned. He had _been_ concerned. He should never have come here. It was risk he shouldn't have taken.

Across from him Penemue laughed. "Yes, I've _already_ won."

He activated his power and created a reality where he would press the call button on his suit for the security team in the adjacent building.

The timeline collapsed before he could move his hand.

Beneath his mask Coil began to cold sweat. He didn't think he was going to do business with the woman a second time. In fact, he'd be quite happy if he never saw her again. Revealing red dress or no.

He'd be _thrilled_ if she left _right now_.

It shook him to his core that she seemed to listen.

The white woman rose from her seat and left a card on the table. "This is my card. It has my account number for payment of all future transactions. If you want to cancel or request specific information, give me a ring." Her eyes, as they had been for most of the meeting, were crunched.

She was still smiling under that crimson scarf.

She turned to walk out and her wings wrapped around her frame. "One more thing. If you want to see something _impressive_… drive back to your home. It's in your best interest to leave immediately or you might miss it. Look for it at the corner of what's after eight and the opposite of starboard."

Penemue turned back and walked out the door. He didn't follow her. The noise in his ears stopped.

He keyed his radio. "Where is she?"

A response came moments later. "She… just flew off sir. Literally." So the wings were functional. Possibly aerokinesis. She had probably caused that sound with it to throw him off balance.

Though it didn't explain what had happened with his power. A Trump? He checked to see if his power worked now that she was gone.

Coil created a world. _He reached into the janitor's closet for his bag. He took off his outfit and put on a pair of comfortable clothes._

He stayed sitting in the chair. Trying to pick apart what she had said. What was truth, lies, and misdirection. He wasn't sure where to begin.

He twitched. _'Beginnings. Damn her.'_

_Thomas got into his car, ordering his mercenaries to stand down and return to base. He pulled onto the street and began his drive home. Maybe he would sleep. Relax after this terrible meeting._

Coil went over what he could remember, but he couldn't piece anything. His headache was still there. He took a glance at the clock. He strode out of the building and locked the door behind him. He walked towards his car.

_He slowed down as he approached a traffic light._

There was a heavy thump behind him. He could feel the tremor through the ground.

Coil slowly turned and looked behind him.

Standing head and shoulders above him was the green eyes of Tanifa.

'_Shit.'_

_Coil collapsed the timeline._

_He sat in his car as Thomas Calvert. Waiting at the intersection of Ninth and Portview._

* * *

_Two Days Later_

_A PRT manager was updating files. He was a balding man with a pot belly and unkempt stubble. He'd been working with the Parahuman Response Team for over a decade._

Her hair draped down her shoulders as she rolled over. She was wearing nothing more than a very expensive bathrobe: silk lined with cashmere. She was lounging in a king size bed. If she had deigned to look out the window she would have seen a sprawling garden.

On the wall-mounted television, the reporter spoke of a massive battle between two warlords, Citadel from South Africa and Moord Nag of Namibia. Moord Nag had shown up only after Citadel had transformed and slaughtered hundreds of soldiers and dozens of capes along her countries eastern border.

The sprawling girl already knew everything about it.

_He was putting in information gleaned from Team Watchdog. Analysis showed several worrying patterns about a group that had come to their attention only recently._

She moved backwards and forwards along the threads, looking at what might be. She looked to the threads that had already passed, searching for hints as to which actions her opponents might take in the future.

It could be a time consuming process. But it had not failed her yet.

What she was seeing would happen in nearly nine weeks. There had been a recent change in priorities to stop Thinker crimes. She wanted to curse her inability to prevent it, but as potent as her powers were they _did_ have limits.

_The Invisible Hand (tentative name)_

_Believed to be a group of Thinkers/Tinkers/Masters(?) operating together to manipulate the stock market and businesses. Multiple Protectorate Thinkers have inferred their existence, yet no members have been identified. _

_All crimes believed to have been committed possess only circumstantial evidence of The Hand's involvement, but follow similar patterns of monetary and employee handling and timing of investments through proxies._

_See __Chicago __and __Detroit__ subsections for specific events._

She frowned. The Protectorate was catching on more quickly than what she had seen the last time she checked on them. That was the biggest problem with her powers. With access to so many possible futures it was sometimes difficult to know _which_ was most likely to actually happen and where she needed to focus her attention.

It was especially annoying when she looked _too_ far into the future.

She pulled backwards along the thread. Her face was locked in concentration as she searched for clues as to what gave the PRT the knowledge to learn of her Midwestern operations.

_A group of men and women were arguing with each other in a boardroom. Reports of damaged computers were causing a public backlash and a heavy loss of profits. The release of the new hardware had been a disaster._

Ah. That company was going to lose a lot of money because their new hard drives would suffer from overheating and pose a hazard. She had pulled out her interests weeks ago.

She pushed further along a dozen connected threads and watched. Their lives. Their habits. Their contacts.

There.

_The Tinker known to Detroit as Chipset sat in his 'lair'. Surrounded by dozens of monitors all showing graphs, numbers, designs, and transaction logs_. Again_ s_he threw her mind backwards. _Chipset was acting as a Rogue. He was speaking with a pair from the boardroom. He was to work as a contracted analyst to see what had gone wrong with the design and manufacturing process._

She cast her mind forward, searching for his results and hints of the PRT's course.

_Chipset was speaking to Director Naiper through a video call. A manila folder was open on her desk, its contents spread out._

Her frown deepened as she stretched her sight further forwards along the first thread, where the PRT had begun to spread word of her recent activities. Something caught her attention.

_Recommendation: Protectorate Team 'The Library' to begin a dedicated search for Hand agents. The Hand are believed to have agents involved with the following companies:_

She pouted. They had figured out part of her machinations.

Well. They would.

She smiled. _'Or will they?'_

It took time and effort to figure out which firms and companies would succeed or fail. Which ones would receive subtle aid or interruption. Then working to strike a balance to maintain the status quo and avoid disrupting the markets too much. She always aimed her actions so any investigation would turn up with nothing.

It seemed she hadn't been careful enough. Wouldn't be careful enough. Whatever.

The sterling silver bell on her nightstand lifted off the surface and rang itself. She then focused her power on a pen and piece of paper on the desk across the room. Very soon a list of the companies from the file that hadn't been written yet was penned down.

Just as she was finishing writing, even though she hadn't left the bed, her door opened and a man dressed in a tailored business suit stepped in. "You called, sweetie pie?"

The young woman gave an expansive and utterly fake smile. "Daddy." She lifted her back upwards, and several pillows arranged themselves behind her. When she leaned back again there was a small mountain of cushions beneath her, as if she was in a reclining chair. She was still wearing nothing more than her slightly rumpled bathrobe.

Her father seemed to pay no mind to her state of dress. He simply stared at her, grinning and waiting.

The paper drifted towards him, floating patiently until he grabbed it.

"These companies are going to be investigated in three weeks. See to it that my interests and my employees are secure. You've done this before so I don't need to give you more exact…" she waved her hand around lazily "…directions, right?" Her smile had gained a vicious edge.

The smile didn't even waver, his eyes unbothered and unerring from their single-mindedness. "Of course, peanut."

Her eyes shifted their focus away from him. She was no longer looking at her imbecilic father, but back at what the future might hold.

"Go on. Get going." Her father turned to leave the room but was stopped. "Wait. Go tell mother to make me lunch. Fish and salad."

Before her powers came, her mother would not have been caught dead actually cooking something.

Her fathered gave another affirmative along with some inane endearment. She rolled her eyes. She hadn't meant to make to make him do that permanently.

'_Oh well.'_

She yawned widely as she rolled over, resting her face on one of her _very_ expensive pillows.

On her back two pairs of pearly wings stretched outwards.

Her freckled face curled into a crafty smile. They were trying to target her income. Her associates. Her businesses.

_Her_.

That was funny.

It was really, _really_ funny.

Surrounded by the fruits of her labors she laughed.

* * *

_18 Months Ago_

Sarah Livsey, who was previously Lisa Wilbourn who was previously Sarah Livsey, sat in the waiting room of the local police department.

She could hear the considerate lies of her father. "Thank you so much, officer. We don't know what we'd have done if-"

She had run away.

Without aid or knowledge, with nothing to fall back on… she had been caught pickpocketing within a month.

Her father walked out of the private office and grabbed her arm firmly. "Let's go home, Sarah. You're mother has been terribly worried."

He half pushed, half dragged her out to the car. He silently prodded her to get in by herself. She briefly considered saying no and protesting. But she had no idea what would happen. Would he just let her sit in a police station? Would the police force her home?

She stepped into the car and closed her door. For a long moment there was silence. He stared at her and she refused to even glance at him. He took his eyes off her and started the car.

Her father pulled out of the police station's parking lot and drove to the next stoplight. Only when they were stopped did he finally act.

Her father grasped her by the chin between his thumb and forefingers. He yanked her head to face him.

"This was an embarrassment. An _embarrassment._" He squeezed her chin tighter. She stared back defiantly. "Don't ever, _ever_, try something like this again."

She hadn't realized how bad things could get with her parents. Before there had been a distant detachment within the family. Now they wouldn't leave her. She was being homeschooled. Her internet and television limited. She was forbidden from leaving the grounds. She saw at least one parent once an hour.

But there was cruelty in that closeness.

Scathing words and disappointed lectures. Chilling glances and impossible expectations. Months of being expected to know things she couldn't _possibly_ have learned.

She hadn't realized how much a person could be hurt with words alone.

'_Is this what they did to him?'_ She didn't know.

In her mind Sarah knew her parents were trying to break her. So she would be pliant.

In her heart she feared it was working.

* * *

"I have friends."

"Your _friends_ know you're a little criminal. That you're ungrateful and liar and a thief."

She knew that was a lie. She thought it was. Reputation meant a lot to her family. It wasn't likely that he had spoken of her arrest with anyone.

But there was no way to be sure.

"You have another homework assignment for this weekend. This," He gestured to the desk. On it was three large manila folders, stuffed to bursting. "was a business crisis I had to solve almost 15 years ago. I did. Now you will too. If you don't?"

He shrugged and walked out. She heard something move behind the door.

Sarah stared at the closed door for several minutes. She slowly walked over to look at the files.

She stayed up the entirety of Friday night.

She realized she didn't know how to do this.

In the months after her runaway Sarah had been 'promoted' to inherit the family businesses.

She had been forced to study business plans. She had been ordered to understand economics. Negotiations. Finances. Risk Management. A dozen other topics.

Those months of tutoring had vanished from her mind. Everything she had learned was escaping her.

By Saturday at midnight she was nearing a breakdown.

All the effort, all the knowledge her parents had forced upon her… and she had no idea what to do.

She didn't know how to go forward. How to escape again. How to beat them at their own game. She didn't know what path to take. She had no experience.

She didn't know how things had gotten to this point. Trapped under her family's thumb. No freedom and no friends. She didn't understand how she could have failed or what she should have done.

She didn't know how to get out of this. She didn't know where she went wrong.

She snapped.

She threw a lamp at the wall. Tossed the pillows and ripped off the bed sheets. She tore entire stacks of paper. Months of pressure, of being pushed to her mental limit, had come to a head.

Sarah fell to her hands and knees, the torn papers scattered around her.

She was going to _scream-_

She gasped. Her eyes went wide.

Her back straightened and then arched backwards.

She gazed at the ceiling wide-eyed, her sight moving across objects only she could perceive.

Her breath came in ragged pants.

Her skin turned white. Her eyes silver. Two pairs of wings, beautiful and pristine, ripped through her shirt.

And then Sarah Livsey knew _everything_.

* * *

Her father walked in at exactly 10 a.m. "Monday morning, _sweetie_!" He called mockingly.

He took a look around the room. Everything looked as he expected. The bed was ruffled and papers covered a good portion of the desk.

He didn't notice the desk lamp was missing.

His daughter was lying on her side in the bed, facing the windows.

He leisurely made his way over.

"Well? What do you have?"

She rolled onto her back and stared at him for a long moment. Then she smiled.

It was wider than he had ever seen it.

Her eyes flashed silver.

For a fleeting moment he felt panic.

Then nothing.

* * *

Penemue (Rogue/Villain?)

?


End file.
